United Martial Arts Academy

841 North Main Street – London, KY 40741 – (606) 862-6556

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Somerset – Jeremy Patton, 28, owner of United Martial Arts on North Main Street in London, won his mixed martial arts debut at the Warrior Fighting Challenge (WFC) “Clash of Titans” held at the Center for Rural Development last September. Patton defeated Jeremy Kitts by TKO in the 2^nd round.

The bout began with a touch of gloves and an exchange of kicks. Kitts charged at Patton and unleashed a flurry of punches then Patton clenched Kitts and spun him into the cage. They stalled for a moment then Patton disengaged and brought the fight back to the center.

The stand up battle continued with both fighters trading several blows. Kitts charged in a second time and Patton clenched him again, turning him toward the cage, but Kitts shoved Patton away and they resumed again in the center.

Kitts, a representative of Cornerstone MMA Fighting Systems of Ohio, threw a glancing round kick to Patton’s leg and Patton answered with two kicks of his own. Kitts ran in a third time, landing a punch to Patton’s head and tripping him to the ground.

Kitts pinned Patton against the cage and tried to punch him, but Patton kept his legs wrapped tightly around Kitts and tied up his arms. The pace slowed down and Patton caught Kitts in an arm bar, appearing to have him in danger of submission. Kitts lifted Patton up and slammed him, escaping the arm bar and throwing another barrage of punches. Patton defended, recomposed his guard and rolled Kitts over taking the top mounted position. Patton landed numerous punches and forearms before Kitts rolled back into Patton’s guard.

Kitts again tried to pin Patton against the cage, but Patton attempted a second arm bar and Kitts escaped as the round ended with a stalemate on the ground.

The remainder of the fight was decided standing up.

“We both landed some good shots in the second round, but I think he was getting tired and he started dropping his hands,” Patton commented. “I kicked him several times hard in the legs and body and that hurt him because he winced and brought his hands down even more.”

Patton, a Taekwondo black belt, then kicked Kitts in the head. Kitts stumbled and charged at Patton, who side-stepped and pushed him against the cage.

“I saw the cut over his eye and knew the referee would stop it, so I just stepped away so he could see it,” Patton continued.

The referee stopped the bout and ruled that Kitts was unable to continue.

“I threw a lot more kicks in that fight than I intended,” Patton said. “I didn’t kick much in training because I wanted to focus on other skills, but when the fight started, that all went out the window and I felt like I was in a Taekwondo match.”

“I made some mistakes in that fight but I’m proud of my performance,” Patton continued. “My opponent was a tuff guy and I want to thank him for competing. I also want to thank all my students, training partners and Scott Hope for helping me train. Thank you WFC for giving me the opportunity to better myself.”

The “Clash of Titans” featured guest referee Matt Hughes, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight Champion. Hughes is one of the most well known fighters in the UFC and he appeared as a coach on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series on Spike TV.

“Matt was incredible,” said WFC promoter Jimbo Collins. “He’s the best referee I’ve seen and he’s great at keeping guys from getting hurt. During the intermissions he greeted and took photos with all the fans. Matt drove eight hours to get to the show and then turned around and drove all the way home knowing that he had to fight B.J. Penn the next week on pay-per-view. We’ll definitely have him back in the future.”

The event boasted 20 fights, including three title bouts. It also included five fights won by members of the Cumberland College Wrestling Team. Cornelius Wiggins, Nate Jolly, Kris Perry, Rob Mooney and Nick Newton represented the Thoroughbred Competition Team led by Corbin’s Bob Stines.

The WFC is a full-contact mixed martial arts competition. Fighters can win by knockout, submission, doctor’s stoppage or decision at the end of 3 rounds. The WFC follows the same rules as the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is sanctioned by the Kentucky State Athletic Commission.

Jeremy “Wildman” Patton and Josh Musick from United Martial Arts are scheduled to fight November 17^th in Somerset, again at the Center for Rural Development. Their opponents will be announced. The event will feature guest referee Chris Leben who appeared as a contestant on the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” He has since earned a UFC record of 6-1. Leben will be available for autographs and photos.

For tickets or event information, call promoter Jimbo Collins at (606) 521-6810 or visit warriorfc.com. Those interested in martial arts training can contact United Martial Arts at (606) 862-6556 or visit kentuckymartialarts.com.

Results: Warrior Fighting Challenge “Clash of Titans”

Donny Wallace DEF Chase Knight – RD 1 – KO

Dustin Dyer DEF Aymen Habiballah – RD 1 – SUB

Kenny Thompson DEF Michael Doughty – RD 3 – SUB

Brandon Bell DEF Zach Earles – RD 2 – TKO

Cornelius Wiggins DEF Bobby Rudder – RD 1 – Verbal SUB

George Padilla DEF Jerry Barron – RD 1 – TKO

Chris Smith DEF Darren Pike – RD 3 – Unanimous Decision

Josh Clark DEF Billy Branham – RD 3 – TKO

Nate Jolly DEF Kellen Winburn – RD 1 – SUB

Jeremy Patton DEF Jeremy Kitts – RD 2 – TKO

Kris Perry DEF James Foster – RD 1 – SUB

Rob Mooney DEF Tim Dunn – RD 2 – TKO

Brad Shultz DEF Mike Miller – RD 1 – SUB

Nick Newton DEF Tim Black – RD 2 – TKO

Angelo Price DEF Josh Grey – RD 1 – SUB

Jeremy Durham DEF Clell Sweeney – RD 1 – SUB

Joe Conley DEF J.D. Bowling – RD 2 – TKO

James Breeden DEF John Dillman – RD 1 – SUB (Featherweight title fight)

Bill Petra DEF Jeff King – RD 2 – TKO (Lightweight title fight)

Erick Jordan DEF Billy Cody – RD 1 – TKO (Light heavyweight title fight)

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Photo 1: Jeremy Patton wins by TKO

Photo 2: Patton with UFC Welterweight Champion and referee Matt Hughes

Photos 3: An excited fan covets Matt Hughes’ championship belt

Photos 4: Nate Jolly puts his opponent on the defensive